


Complications

by IrrationallyExcited



Category: Sanditon (TV 2019)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Jealousy, arguing is their love language, i still dont know how tagging works, s01e06 inspired
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-06
Updated: 2019-10-12
Packaged: 2020-11-24 20:03:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20913332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IrrationallyExcited/pseuds/IrrationallyExcited
Summary: For almost a whole minute, things between Charlotte and Sidney felt blissfully simple. Then his ex-fiance showed up.Charlotte can't help it, she walks over to them against her better judgement, because everything she does lately seems to be against her better judgement.She blames Sidney, of course. She blames him for everything. It's all his fault.All of it.





	1. complications

**Author's Note:**

> Cue the historical inaccuracies and self-indulgent sexual tension...  
(Feedback is always lovely but please be gentle, im very out of practice!)
> 
> Also if you had told me a month ago I'd end up writing fanfiction based on a show based on a Jane Austen novel I would have laughed in your face... what is my life?
> 
> Enjoy!! :)

Charlotte had been standing there for far too long. 

She realised this with a start, the sudden movement jarring after being frozen on her feet in the middle of the crowded dance floor. Charlotte knew how silly she probably looked, staring at Sidney and Eliza with a look on her face that could’ve made any outside observer think she had witnessed a murder.

Cursing her tendency to get stuck inside her own mind at the most inopportune moments, she stalked forward with as much grace as she could muster in her state, and slipped through the wall of prancing bodies between her and the object of her distress.

The moment she stepped into Sidney’s line of sight he noticed her, his expression shifting to surprise, as clear as day. It stung Charlotte a little, seeing that she had been so blatantly forgotten by the man she had just been dancing with.

“Oh, let me introduce you,” he exclaimed brightly, moving to present Charlotte to Eliza with a simple gesture, barely brushing her arm with his fingertips, “This is my friend--”

“Acquaintance,” She interrupted with a forced smile and gritted teeth, taking Eliza’s proffered hand, “Charlotte Heywood, pleased to meet you Mrs…”

“Campion, Eliza Campion. Pleasure, what brings you to London, Miss Heywood?” Her voice was smooth as silk, and she spoke with such an easy politeness it made Charlotte’s blood boil with envy, she could never compare, but she already knew that deep down.

To his credit, Sidney seemed adequately flustered to be faced with the two girls meeting, and coughed to hide his discomfort, answering Eliza’s question before Charlotte could even open her mouth.

“Miss Heywood is staying with my brother Tom, at Sanditon.”

Eliza nodded, understanding lighting in her eyes. “Oh yes, Sanditon. I’ve been hearing quite the buzz about this little place.”

“Oh there’s never a dull moment at Sanditon.” Sidney responded with a smile.

Charlotte was compelled to speak up, lest she be forgotten again in the midst of Eliza’s silky voice and Sidney’s sparkling eyes “Well I would argue that Sanditon hardly compares to a such a place as London,”

“Well there may be a lot of people here in London, but dare I say that a great many of them are quite boring,” she murmured, leaning forward with a conspiratorial grin, “just look around you, anyone who is worth mentioning is in this room tonight, and people can hardly wait to move on from one conversation to the next.”

Charlotte was quite taken aback by Eliza’s loose tongue, as it brought an unwanted reminder of her and Sidney’s first meeting; where he had plenty to say about _her _freely given opinions. “Perhaps that is true but--”

She risked a glance at Sidney to gauge his reaction, expecting a similar look of disdain to the one he had given her all those weeks ago, but to her surprise she saw him smiling. The pit that had been in her stomach since Tom said the name ‘Eliza’ began to grow heavier.

“I would have to agree with Mrs Campion, as I’ve always found that when it comes to people it’s the quality, not the quantity, that makes life interesting.” Sidney drawled, a devilish smirk on his lips. Charlotte felt sickened.

“Is that why you have so few friends, Mr Parker?” She barely hid her contempt behind a flat smile, and the furrow between Sidney’s eyebrows told her he could see right through her.

“Very funny Miss Heywood,” he shifted in discomfort, “anyway, I would say that it is neither Sanditon nor London that has any interesting qualities in themselves, but it is you, Miss Heywood. Excitement seems to follow you wherever you go, for better or for worse.”

Charlotte scoffed. “Well I would argue that it is _you_ who follows me everywhere I go.”

“You seem to be like a rash to me, constantly irritating and seemingly impossible to be rid of.” Despite his clear befuddlement as to the reason for her hostility, he rose to the provocation with as short a temper as he had always possessed.

“Well aren’t you two quite the pair! I could watch you two bicker all evening.” Eliza interjected suddenly, and Charlotte almost jumped out of her skin, having forgotten she was even there.

Judging by the way Sidney coughed to hide his blush, Charlotte could surmise that he had also forgotten Eliza was there. She shoved down a bitter sense of vindication.

“I certainly would not think ‘pair’ is the right word for it,” Sidney retorted gruffly, glancing between Eliza and Charlotte with a distinctly haunted look about him, “In fact, I would describe Miss Heywood as an unwanted interloper at my brother's house in Sanditon.”

Charlotte scowled, fists clenched at her sides. There was no doubt she had rumpled her skirts, but she was too outraged to care. 

“Excuse you Mr Parker, but I was invited to Sanditon much the same way that you were.”

“Is that right?” He laughed bitterly, “I was under the impression that you arrived in Sanditon as a stowaway on my brother's coach”

“Not at all, in fact the story of how I found myself in Sanditon is quite an exciting one if I do say so myself.” Charlotte retorted.

Eliza glanced between Charlotte and Sidney as they glared at each other for a beat too long, clearing her throat.

“Now I must hear this!” Eliza beamed.

“I wonder why I have never heard it myself.” Sidney added, focus on Charlotte unwavering.

“Because you never thought to ask, Mr Parker," Charlotte scoffed, then held her elbow out to Eliza, “walk with me, Mrs Campion, and I'll tell you all about it.”

…

The two ladies laughed companionably as they wandered through the crowded room, elbows linked.

Eliza tilted her head, giggling in disbelief, “so you met Sidney's brother because his carriage crashed, and then decided to travel with him to a place you had never heard of?”

“Yes, I suppose I did,” Charlotte agreed, laughing harder, “I was just so excited by the prospect of a ball, I didn't think about it all too much.”

“You are a fascinating girl, Miss Heywood.”

Charlotte blushed at the praise, “thank you, you're too kind.”

Eliza opened her mouth to respond, a warm smile on her lips, but faltered as Sidney emerged from a cluster of other people.

“Mrs Campion, Miss Heywood. I trust you're both having a nice evening.” He greeted, forced politeness clear on his face.

“Certainly, meeting your friend Miss Heywood has been a joy.” Eliza gushed, grinning brightly.

“Oh you are too kind.” Charlotte giggled, but it felt like a wave of cold water had crashed over her head, seeing Sidney again.

She stared at the ground, stomach twisting painfully. She remembered dancing with Sidney and feeling so hopeful, and she could also remember hearing Tom say Eliza’s name. The image she had created in her mind of the possibility of her and Sidney shattered like glass in front of her eyes.

“I think I should go, it’s getting late.” She added quickly, glancing around for any sign of Tom.

“You shouldn’t leave on your own.” Sidney objected, brow furrowed dangerously.

“I didn’t think it was any of your business, Mr Parker.” Charlotte retorted, temper flaring at the challenge.

“Now don’t be stubborn about this of all things, London is a dangerous place for a young woman like you to be at this time--”

“Then I’ll ask your brother to walk me back to his house,” she interrupted, arms crossed stubbornly, “you don’t need to worry about it, goodnight Mrs Campion. Goodnight Mr Parker.”

With that Charlotte turned and walked away, searching the room for Tom Parker and hoping he was as weary from the events of that evening as she was. Before she could get far, she felt a strong grip on her forearm, stopping her in her tracks.

“Could you please explain this sudden hostility?” Sidney’s familiar, deep voice cut through the buzz of the room like a knife, “I don’t know what it is I could have done to provoke your anger.”

She refused to let his proximity and the low rumble of his throat affect her, and turned around sharply, yanking her arm from his grip.

“Well if you must know, I suppose it happened somewhere between your leaving me on the dance floor alone to talk to your ex-fiance, and your trying to humiliate me in front of her.” She spat, unblinking.

He recoiled, openly baffled, “my ex… where on earth did you hear about mine and Eliza’s engagement?”

“Your brother told me all about it.” Charlotte retorted, acid on her tongue, “I also know that she left you for a better offer, I guess the two of you have more in common than you thought.”

Sidney is silent for a moment, then shakes himself roughly, “my brother had no right to tell you anything about that.”

He may have seemed stoic before, but that was nothing in comparison to what Charlotte saw then. He was almost completely emotionless, eyes cold as stone.

“Well it’s too late for all of that now,” Charlotte fumbled and cursed herself, unwilling to lose her nerve so quickly, “I know she’s widowed as well. Honestly I’m happy for the two of you, and I can’t even hate her because she happens to be the most lovely woman I have ever met.”

He seemed to almost snap out of a haze, stepping forward with an aborted gesture, as if he was reaching towards Charlotte, but she refused to believe that was possible.

“Now slow down,” he said weakly, “why must you make so many assumptions?”

“It’s obvious you’re still in love with her!” She practically spat, wary of so many nearby ears, “How could you not be? She’s wonderful! I think even _I _might be a little bit in love with her!”

“Oh don’t speak with such hyperbole. Any feelings I may still harbour for Mrs Campion are of little consequence, I already told you there isn’t anyone here I want to dance with but you.” He murmured so quietly Charlotte almost believed she was imagining it.

“Oh please, save me the dull poetry. You said that before you saw her and we both know it.” She spat, more desperate to escape the humid ballroom with every passing second.

“That doesn’t change my feelings for you.”

“Your feelings for me? Don’t make me laugh. It wasn't so long ago you were telling me I was a little girl who has experienced nothing and knows nothing.” The pit in her stomach turned hot, twisting so much she felt nauseous.

“And yet you have proven to me that in fact _I_ had much to learn and you very little.”

She laughed, high and sharp, shaking her head violently, “stop it with these false platitudes!”

“They aren’t false! None of it is false!” At some point he had stepped closer, and Charlotte hadn’t noticed, so caught up in her anger and frustration, “why won’t you listen to me when I tell you that it’s not her that I want, it is you! It is not her that I love, it is…”

They both stopped breathing, and it occurred to her that she had never seen anyone’s eyes so close up in her life. It felt too personal, like her soul was stripped bare, and she could see just as much of him.

“I don’t think you want to finish that sentence.” It was less than a whisper, all of the fight in her had deserted at the implication of what he had just said, moreso what he had left _unsaid._

“And what if I did?”

Out of nowhere, the urge to run away and never turn back hit Charlotte like a speeding carriage, and she stumbled backwards on numb feet.

“...Goodnight Mr Parker. I’m going home.”

“Home?” He looked like a child, lost and scared, she barely recognised him.

She sighed weakly, “to Sanditon. I’m going back to Sanditon. Enjoy the rest of your evening, I don’t care what you do with it.”

“Miss Heywood, wait…” She heard him run after her as she dashed for the nearest exit, but he stopped soon enough. She almost thought she heard him whisper her name, like a prayer, but the sound of his voice was so weak she refused to believe her own ears.

_“Charlotte.”_


	2. a dignified retreat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlotte leaves the ball, and finds herself in an odd conversation with a slightly intoxicated Thomas Parker.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pretty short chapter, because I wanted to add to this story but didn't have much free time. Hopefully, the next chapter will be longer and much more exciting. In the meantime, enjoy a slightly drunk Tom talking about Sanditon, while Charlotte struggles to get a word in edgewise...

Of course, Charlotte knew there was no way she could return to Sanditon before the morning. That simple fact did not make her any less inclined to leave the party as soon as she possibly could. If she had moved any faster, her skirts would have caught fire.

“Miss Heywood, are you alright?” Tom asked as she paused on the street outside, visibly concerned by her rumpled state.

“Oh, I am fine, thank you, Mr Parker. I was hoping to return to your house, I’m dreadfully tired and overwhelmed by… well, all of this.” She gestured vaguely at the ball behind her, catching her breath and lowering her gaze in embarrassment.

“Of course, Miss Heywood, let me accompany you. If I’m honest, I don’t see much use in staying myself, it seems nobody here is interested in hearing about my silly regatta, or Sanditon at all.” He rambled, giving the impression that he may have had one too many glasses of wine.

“I wouldn’t say _that_ Mr Parker, I heard a few people talking about Sanditon this evening, and they seemed most intrigued,” Charlotte assured him, justifying the white lie with the relieved smile she watched bloom on Tom’s face.

“Oh Miss Heywood, I am glad to hear that. Let us leave with our heads held high then, after you.” He led her to his carriage and held the door open, and she offered a slightly watery grin in return.

Once they were both comfortably situated side-by-side in the vehicle, the horses began moving at a sedate pace through the quiet streets of London. Charlotte could not help but feel as though it was quite an eerie place to be at night, glancing through the small window at the blurry lights of streetlamps as they rolled past.

“A penny for your thoughts, Miss Heywood?” The voice of Tom Parker broke the silence, and Charlotte jumped slightly, 

“Oh, I didn’t mean to get so distracted,” she laughed to cover her embarrassment, “I was just thinking about the ball...”

“Ah yes, that must have been a strange experience, your first ball of such size, I’m sure,” Tom interjected with amusement, and Charlotte furrowed her brow.

“Well, yes, but that wasn’t quite-”

“Of course the balls we’ve had at Sanditon haven’t been quite the same size, but with any luck, they will soon be just as grand, with as many high-status guests.”

Charlotte sighed quietly, shaking her head at Tom’s enthusiasm. 

“That sounds lovely, truly.” She smiled wistfully.

He grinned, placing a gentle hand atop hers, “and I am sure you will be there to see it in all its glory, sooner than you may think.”

Charlotte giggled, ducking her head, “that is very kind, and I do very much enjoy helping you as your assistant, but I’m afraid I can see my time in Sanditon coming to an end eventually.”

“I hope you aren’t thinking of leaving too soon, I believe I can speak for everyone in my family when I say we really do enjoy having you around. You are a delight, Miss Heywood.”

Internally, Charlotte mused ‘I don’t think you could say that about _all_ of your family’, but held her tongue. She offered a smile instead, tilting her head.

“I have enjoyed my time with your family, and I absolutely adore Sanditon.”

Tom grinned, “it is a place like no other, indeed.”

When Charlotte didn’t offer an immediate response, they fell into a comfortable silence, listening to the sound of the wheels on the road below, and watching the warm glow of the streetlamps slide past the windows.

Soon enough, they reached Tom’s house, and Charlotte politely wished him a pleasant night’s sleep. She could openly admit to herself that she had never felt quite so relieved to let an evening come to an end; resting her head in a bed far more comfortable than the one she had left behind in Wellington, all those nights ago.


End file.
